The Case of the Menacing Menagerie
by El Kaye
Summary: The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. try to solve a series of strange robberies, tracing their origins to the Northeast Southweston Zoo. But things get dangerous when the animals are suddenly turned against them!
1. Act One

The secret word is: "Zoo."

Something strange has been taking place overnight in our humble hometown of Northeast Southweston. What could be the reason behind several bizarre and unexplained robberies around the city? Why was electrical and broadcasting equipment mysteriously disappearing from our local media centers? And what would cause Doomsday to come in and ask this particular question?

"Do any of you know how to speak Malagasy?" Doomsday asked as he entered the room.

Doc, Bugs and I eyed Doomsday strangely.

"No," Doc felt confident in answering for all of us.

"Oh, okay," Doomsday said with a shrug, and he crossed the room to sit on the bench by the window.

The turquoise telephone rang and I picked it up. "C.A.P.E.R. room, P.T. here," I said. I listened carefully to the caller, then assured him, "Yes, sir. We will do everything we can to solve the case."

"Was that another one?" Doc asked as I hung up the phone.

"The fourth one today," I confirmed. "That was Mr. Fossberger from Fossberger's Radio Repair Shop. He says he arrived at his shop this morning to find it had been burglarized."

"What was taken?" Doc asked.

"Various radio parts," I answered.

"So far we've heard from radio station KUUK," Doc recounted.

"They reported their control consoles were missing," Bugs recalled.

"And then we heard from Northeast Southweston University's college radio station," Doc continued.

"And they said their microphones were missing," Bugs noted.

"And Sgt. Vinton said that several of the emergency police radio repeaters around town have disappeared as well," I reminded them.

"Looks like we have a rogue wanna-be deejay on our hands!" Bugs deduced.

"But so far there have been no witnesses to any of these crimes," I pointed out. "They apparently happened in the dead of night."

"Before the break of dawn," Doc added.

"By the light of the silvery moon," Bugs included.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie," Doomsday began to sing, then he hummed, "Mmmm . . . pizza pie!" and sat back down again.

"It's a pretty brazen series of crimes," I pointed out.

"And they're all clearly connected," Doc added.

"If only we knew what that connection was," I sighed.

"Maybe Klinsinger's on the case," Bugs suggested, and he walked over to the television and hit the top of it. The television flickered on but there was nothing but snow.

"What's wrong with this thing?" Bugs complained as he kept hitting the television, trying to get a picture.

At that moment Kurt Klinsinger walked into the C.A.P.E.R. room, looking distraught. "It's terrible!" he cried. "It's monstrous!"

"I can hear him but I still can't see him!" Bugs complained, slapping the television again.

"Bugs . . . " I tried to interrupt.

"Oh wait, I think I'm getting something," Bugs said hopefully.

"Bugs . . . " I repeated.

"Yeah, I think I see his pointy, little head coming in now," Bugs said, staring at the still snowy screen.

"_Bugs!" _I shouted.

Bugs finally turned around and saw Klinsinger standing at the doorway. "Oh, he's reporting live today!" Bugs said, and he hit the top of the television to turn it off.

"The television station's been robbed!" Klinsinger told us in a tearful voice. "It's a travesty! It's criminal! It's interfering with the freedom of the press!"

"The television station's been robbed as well?" Doc asked.

"Did anyone witness the crime?" I asked hopefully.

"I did!" Klinsinger said. "I arrived at the station early this morning to get started on the next award-winning Klinsinger report, and I saw them getting away!"

"Great!" I said. "What did they look like?"

"They were brownish-gray and furry and they had tails with rings around them!" Klinsinger stated.

We looked at one another with confusion. "You were robbed by raccoons?" Bugs asked incredulously.

"No! No, they weren't raccoons!" Klinsinger insisted. "I don't know what they were!"

"What you just described sounds like racoons," Doc pointed out.

"They weren't racoons!" Klinsinger insisted.

"Well, what did these non-raccoons take?" I asked.

Klinsinger took a deep breath to keep his emotions under control. "The transmission tower," he sobbed, his lower lip quivering.

"What?" we all gasped.

"Racoons stole the television station's transmission tower?" Bugs asked in disbelief. "That thing is over fifty feet tall!"

"Those must be some strong racoons!" Doomsday gasped in awe.

"They were _not_ racoons!" Klinsinger insisted again.

"But you said . . . " Doc began.

"These were bigger than racoons," Klinsinger insisted. "And they had big round eyes and really long ringed tails! I saw them carrying loops of wire away from the station! I didn't realize the tower was gone until I tried to broadcast my morning report and . . . and no one could see me." Tears came to Klinsinger's eyes.

"Oh, you must be talking about the lemurs!" Doomsday realized.

"What?" Klinsinger asked.

"Lemurs?" Doc asked with surprise.

"Yeah," Doomsday nodded.

"What is a lemur?" Klinsinger asked.

"Lemur catta, or ring-tailed lemur," Doc explained casually. "A large diurnal Strepsirhine primate that is endemic to the island of Madagascar."

"Madagascar?" Klinsinger repeated as if he hadn't heard correctly. "And you think lemurs stole my transmission tower?"

"No, from what you said we thought racoons stole it," I corrected.

Klinsinger bit his lower lip then stood up straight, glaring with indignation. "If you aren't going to take this case seriously then I'll just go solve it myself!" He stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Maybe Klinsinger ought to cut back on those early morning hours," Bugs sighed.

"Well, that explains that," Doomsday said, looking satisfied.

"Explains what?" I asked.

"Explains the lemur I saw last night," Doomsday answered.

"You saw a lemur last night?" Doc asked.

"Yeah," Doomsday confirmed. "Late last night I was hungry, so I went to the 24-hour diner to get a sundae. Marge always makes it special for me with extra relish. Anyway, as I was coming home I saw a lemur walking down the street carrying a loop of wire around its shoulder. I tried to talk to it, but it didn't seem to understand me and I couldn't understand it. I figured it must only speak Malagasy."

"The native language of Madagascar," Doc explained.

"So you saw a lemur walking down the street late at night carrying a loop of electrical wire and the only thing that struck you as being strange was that you couldn't talk to it?" I asked.

Doomsday nodded.

"Maybe Doomsday ought to cut back on those relish sundaes," Bugs noted.

Doc began to pace the room. "Okay, as preposterous as this all sounds, let's suppose for a moment that lemurs _did_ steal some of the electrical equipment last night. They couldn't have carried off a fifty foot transmission tower! And besides, where would the lemurs have come from anyway?"

Just as Doc was finishing that sentence the door opened and a girl walked in. "From Madagascar, of course," she answered.

We all eyed the girl. She had feathered brown hair which hung to her shoulders and was wearing a safari-style tan outfit with leopard print accents and short pants. She had an animal print scarf tied prettily around her neck. She looked me up and down and smiled and I looked her up and down and smiled back. The guys seemed to be looking from her to me, back and forth, for some reason.

I walked over to her. "I like your scarf," I smiled.

"I like your ascot," she noted with a smile.

"Hey, P.T., I didn't know you had a sister!" Doomsday commented.

"Oh, I certainly hope we're not related!" I noted, happily realizing that it might actually be my turn to get the girl.

"Do you work at the zoo as well?" the girl asked. "I don't remember seeing you there."

"No," I answered. "Why?"

"You two look like you're ready to host Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom," Bugs pointed out.

"Oh, I love that show!" Doomsday smiled, then he leaned over to Bugs and whispered, "Although you don't want to know what the animals are _really_ saying about Marlon Perkins."

"My name is Anna Malover," she explained. "I work at the Northeast Southweston Zoo. But something strange has been happening."

"Don't tell us," Bugs interrupted. "The lemurs are building a pirate radio station."

Anna looked confused but answered, "They wouldn't have the energy to build a radio station if they wanted to. Lately all of the animals just seem to be exhausted all the time. It's like they have no energy!"

"Well, they don't really have much to do anyway, do they?" Doc asked.

"No, but it's affecting attendance at the zoo," Anna explained. "People don't want to see the animals just lying around sleeping when they visit."

"This is true," I said. "And this definitely sounds like a case for C.A.P.E.R."

"Who?" Anna asked.

We stood at attention and recited, "The Civilian Authority for the Protection of Everybody, Regardless."

"Tadaa!" sang Doc.

"Tadaa!" sang Doomsday.

"Tadaa!" sang Bugs.

"Tadaa!" I finished, then continued with a flourish. After a moment I stopped. Usually the girl would have stopped me by now.

"Oh, do continue!" Anna smiled.

Elated, I continued to belt out a rhythmic ditty until Doc finally stepped in.

"Okay, that's enough!" Doc declared. "I suggest we head over to the zoo, making a quick stop at the television station to check out this missing transmission tower for ourselves."

"And the library," Doomsday added.

"Why the library?" Bugs asked.

"To pick up a Malagasy / English dictionary," Doomsday explained.

"To the Big Bologna!" Doc pointed, and he walked out of the C.A.P.E.R. room.

"After you," I bowed to Anna, and then followed her from the room.

Bugs and Doomsday stopped at the door and Bugs bowed, mockingly saying, "After you!" and they followed behind us.

********************************

Soon we were making our way to the television station in the Big Bologna. Anna and I were sitting in the back with Bugs. Mr. Featherstone popped up out of his tank and gave Anna a nudge.

"Oh, what a wonderful specimen of shark!" she exclaimed excitedly, inspecting Mr. Featherstone's teeth without trepidation. "Do you know that they have an excellent sense of direction? Almost like radar!"

"Seems we've heard that before," Bugs noted.

"You certainly know a lot about animals," I commented.

"I oversee all the veterinary services at the zoo," Anna explained as she finished inspecting Mr. Featherstone's mouth. "His teeth are in great shape. A very handsome specimen indeed!" Anna smiled, patting Mr. Featherstone's head.

Mr. Featherstone made a series of enthusiastic noises.

"Hey!" I cried.

"What did he say?" Anna asked.

"He said we should replace P.T. with you!" Bugs laughed.

"Looks like the transmission tower's missing all right," Doc reported from the driver's seat.

The Big Bologna pulled up to the television station and we piled out, looking up at the empty space behind the building where the tower used to sit. We heard a voice talking and walked around to the side of the building where we found Kurt Klinsinger standing in front of a manned camera and talking in a very animated fashion into a microphone.

" . . . and rest assured, I will stay on this story until the mystery of our missing transmitter has been solved! I'll forego sleep! I'll forego sustenance! I'll forego everything until this wrong has been righted!"

Bugs casually wandered into the camera shot and looked into the lens, then at Klinsinger. "What are you doing? You know you can't broadcast anything without a transmission tower."

Klinsinger covered his microphone with his hand, then motioned for the camera crew to cut as the rest of us approached. "For your information, I'm filming a report to be shown when we _are_ able to broadcast again. I'm staying on top of this story, that's what I'm doing! And what are _you_ all doing here?"

"We came to inspect the scene of the robbery," Doc informed him.

"I thought I told you_ I_ would handle this!" Klinsinger said angrily. "Now stop following me around! I'm going to crack this case wide open and I don't need any help from you!"

"Gonna round up those raccoons all by yourself, huh?" Bugs asked.

Klinsinger placed his hands on his hips and sneered. "Why don't you go find those larcenous lemurs of yours? I'm going with something just a little more substantial."

"Which is?" I asked.

"Never you mind!" Klinsinger scoffed, and he turned back to his camera crew. "Where do you want me to pick it up?"

"Start from the part about the aliens," the cameraman suggested.

"Aliens?" we all asked in shock.

"Well, it makes a lot more sense than raccoons!" Klinsinger insisted. "I mean lemurs. I mean . . . oh, just leave me alone."

We walked around to the back of the station as Klinsinger began filming his report again. "This ace reporter is fairly certain that we are dealing with powers far beyond our understanding. Who are these furry, bug-eyed alien creatures? And what do they want with our transmitter and equipment? The mind boggles at the possibilities . . . "

"My mind's certainly boggling," Bugs sighed, shaking his head.

"How else can one explain the disappearance of a fifty foot transmission tower with practically no signs of disturbance anywhere?" they could hear Klinsinger continue as they rounded the corner to view the field behind the station.

"Is he kidding?" Doc asked as we eyed the torn up field. What was once a green patch of land was now a complete disaster. The cement foundations where the legs of the tower once stood were ripped apart and scattered. Every inch of grass had been trampled and destroyed. And several trees in the area were knocked over or broken in two.

"Those are some destructive lemurs!" Bugs noted.

"Why do you keep talking about lemurs?" Anna asked.

"We have reason to believe that lemurs were involved in a series of robberies," I explained.

"Well, that's crazy," Anna protested. "The only lemurs in town are the ones in our zoo. And they certainly can't get out of their enclosure."

"Do you see any lemur tracks around here?" Doc asked her.

Anna walked around, inspecting the ground. "Everything's so torn up, I can't make out anything specific," she said.

"But there is something that's clearly missing," I pointed out.

"What's that?" Doomsday asked.

"No tire tracks anywhere," I answered. "You would think that whoever stole the tower would have used a crane or a truck or something, but there's no sign that any vehicles passed through the area at all."

"Maybe it really _was_ aliens!" Doomsday said with wide eyes.

"Let's get to the zoo," Doc suggested. "See these lemurs for ourselves."

We piled back into the Big Bologna and drove to the zoo, making a quick stop at the library. Since Doc knows his way around the library better than anyone, he volunteered to run inside and find an English / Malagasy dictionary.

"I really think you're barking up the wrong tree," Anna insisted as we sat in the Big Bologna waiting for Doc to return. "Animals don't commit crimes."

"She's right," Doomsday agreed. "Animals are naturally good. It's only when they're mistreated or scared that they might behave badly."

"And I can promise you that all of our enclosures and cages are secure," Anna continued. "The animals can't get out and roam around as they please."

"Then that's pretty clever," Doomsday said.

"What is?" I asked.

"That the aliens are disguising themselves as lemurs," Doomsday commented. "Maybe I should have asked Doc to pick up an English / Alien dictionary as well!"

Doomsday started to get up but I grabbed his arm and motioned for him to sit down again. "I don't think that will be necessary," I assured him.

There was a knock at one of the round windows beside us. We could see an elderly woman cupping her hand over her eyes against the glass to peer inside, and she knocked again.

"I wonder what she wants?" Bugs thought aloud.

We got up and went outside to talk to the old woman. "Can I help you?" I asked.

"Do you work for animal control?" the woman asked.

"Why no," I said. "But we do work for the city in a way. What's the problem?"

"It's my neighbor!" the woman complained, leading us across the street to her house. "I've asked nicely countless times, but he just won't . . . curb his dog, if you know what I mean."

"I think I understand," I said sympathetically.

"I want that beast taken away! It's a menace! Ruining my beautiful lawn!" the woman complained. "And this is the worst yet!"

She motioned to her yard and we stood, staring in awe of the sight before us.

"That wasn't made by some Chihuahua!" Bugs gasped.

"Or even an alien lemur," Doomsday nodded in agreement.

"I don't believe it!" Anna gasped as she walked over to the huge pile in the middle of the lawn.

"What is it?" I asked, joining her as she bent down low to examine it more closely.

"This is elephant dung," she explained.

"Elephant dung?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Anna said. "It's actually very useful. Did you know that some tribes in Africa use it as a fuel to build their fires?"

"Remind me never to roast marshmallows over a campfire in Africa," Bugs said to Doomsday.

"But how would it have gotten here?" Anna asked worriedly.

"Well, if you'll notice, the sidewalks around here are all cracked," I pointed out. "And there are limbs broken off the trees all down the street."

Anna shook her head. "No, that's impossible. The elephants can't get out of their pens!"

"I don't know," I said. "I just have a feeling it's all connected with the disappearance of the transmission tower and the robberies around town."

"You mean the elephants are aliens, too?" Doomsday asked.

"We'd better get to the zoo right away," I suggested, and we started back to the Big Bologna.

"Hey, aren't you going to clean up this mess?" the old woman shouted at us.

We stopped and looked back at her.

"You said you worked for the city," she reminded us.

"But this really isn't our jurisdiction," I pointed out.

The woman stood with her arms crossed, waiting.

Bugs, Doomsday and I eyed each other warily. "Well, picking up elephant dung doesn't require brains," I pointed out.

"Or sweetness," Doomsday added.

"Or even cleverness," I concluded.

Bugs sighed with frustration. "Oh, all right," he sighed. In a flash he was gone, running down the street at high speed. He returned a moment later wearing a street cleaner's uniform and pushing an old-fashioned street cleaner's barrel on wheels. He quickly shoveled up the elephant dung and then sped away with it, returning a moment later in his regular clothes.

"Oh, thank you, young man!" the old woman smiled, returning to her house.

"You guys owe me one!" Bugs said, and we returned to the Big Bologna just as Doc was exiting the library.

We climbed into the Big Bologna and Doomsday sat in the passenger seat as Doc entered and handed him a book. "Here's the English / Malagasy dictionary. They had an English / Alien dictionary as well, but I wasn't sure if you wanted that or not."

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed.

"Sometimes I try," Doc smiled as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the van.


	2. Act Two

We walked through the front gates of the zoo around three in the afternoon. As we were entering, a woman and her two sobbing children were exiting.

"Hello," I smiled nicely at her.

"This is the worst zoo I have ever been to!" the woman shouted at me, clutching the hands of the crying tykes. "My children are so disappointed! I've never seen such lethargic animals in all my life! You should be ashamed!"

"I don't work here," I told her as she walked away, pulling her two bawling children with her.

"You see the problem?" Anna asked me.

"We definitely need to get to the bottom of this!" I agreed.

Anna led us straight to the lemur exhibit. There were seven lemurs in the large circular cage, all laying on and around a huge tree. They seemed to be mostly asleep as we approached.

"You see, this isn't like them," Anna said. "Lemurs are diurnal. They're usually active during the day and sleep at night."

"Let me try to talk to them," Doomsday suggested, and he opened the English / Malagasy dictionary and stood in front of the enclosure. He carefully tried to pronounce the words, "Mbola tsara. Manahoana."

The lemurs didn't pay Doomsday any attention at all.

"Maybe I don't have the accent quite right," Doomsday sighed. We sat down on a nearby bench as he tried again. "Mbola tsara . . . "

_Two hours later:_

"Tsy mahay miteny gasy aho," Doomsday recited.

"That's obvious," Doc sighed sleepily. "We've been here so long even _I_ know Malagasy now! And it's clear you don't know how to speak it."

We were all leaning against one another on the bench, looking as sleepy as the lemurs at this point.

"This is getting us nowhere," Bugs moaned.

Suddenly one of the lemurs swung over to Doomsday and started chattering loudly. Doomsday was taken aback and sighed, "Oh! Sorry."

"What was that?" I asked.

"She asked if I could please go away. They're trying to sleep," Doomsday explained.

We sat up with surprise. "You understood her then?" I asked.

Doomsday thought for a moment, then realized. "Oh yeah." He turned to the cage and started talking to the lemur, who replied in anxious chatters. Once finished, Doomsday thanked the lemur and walked over to us.

"What did you find out?" Doc asked.

"They understand me just fine," Doomsday said. "But it's strange . . . I know she's the lemur I saw last night but she doesn't remember meeting me at all. And we certainly didn't understand each other then."

"Does she remember anything from last night?" I asked.

"No," Doomsday answered. "They just know they're very tired today."

"So the lemurs are claiming amnesia!" Bugs stated sarcastically. "A likely story!"

A man approached us, wearing an all-white safari suit and matching hat with leopard print trim. He was around forty years old and smiled when he saw Anna. Walking beside him, being led on a chain, was a beautiful Bengal tiger. "Here you are, my dear. I was wondering where you'd gone." He eyed me and added, "I don't remember seeing you before. A new employee?"

"Oh, no," Anna said, "These are the Kids from C.A.P.E.R. They're here to help us find out why the animals have all been so tired lately. This is Dr. Tari, the zoo's director."

"How do you do, boys?" Dr. Tari greeted us. "Just call me Doc Tari."

"Always pleased to meet another Doc," Doc assured him.

"We certainly appreciate all the help we can get," Doc Tari said sincerely. "Business has definitely been slow lately."

"What a beautiful tiger!" Doomsday said as he knelt down to pet the animal.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Sonny," Doc Tari warned nervously.

"Oh, it's okay," Doomsday assured him as he spoke to the tiger. A moment later he added, "Sasha said it's okay. She likes being scratched behind the ears."

"How did you know her name is Sasha?" Doc Tari asked.

"She told me," Doomsday answered.

"He can talk to animals," Anna explained.

"Oh really?" Doc Tari asked with interest. "Fascinating! Well, I was just taking Sasha over to the holding pens at the veterinary center. It's time for her shots, Anna."

"You took her off exhibit this early?" Anna asked with surprise.

"My dear, I've already closed the zoo for the day," he explained sadly. "All the visitors have left . . . the few we've had."

"It's just as well," I said. "Now we can do a full-scale investigation."

"That's a good idea," Doc Tari said.

"If we split up we can cover the zoo more quickly," I suggested. "Anna and I can check the back parameter. Doc, Bugs and Doomsday, you can check the front half of the zoo."

"Oh, why don't you come with me?" Doc Tari asked Doomsday. "I have to make my evening rounds and we could question the animals on the way."

"That's a good idea," Doc agreed. "Maybe some of the other animals can recall what happened last night."

"If anyone needs anyone for anything, use the C.A.P.E.R. band," I said. "Let's go!"

********************************

"They don't remember anything about last night, either," Doomsday informed Doc Tari outside the elephant's enclosure. "Which is strange, because elephants usually don't forget."

"It's all very puzzling," Doc Tari agreed. "I can't imagine why all of the animals are so exhausted."

"And sore," Doomsday reminded him. "All the animals I've spoken to so far have aches and pains they can't explain. Even Sasha."

"It is very troubling," Doc Tari agreed. "I'm so glad you boys are here to help us get to the bottom of this. If someone is abusing or mistreating our animals, I want them stopped!"

"Oh absolutely!" Doomsday agreed emphatically.

"Well, it wasn't very considerate of us to make Sasha walk around to all these exhibits when she's so tired," Doc Tari sighed. "Let's get her to the veterinary center and we can decide what to do from there."

"Okay," Doomsday agreed, and he took Sasha's chain and walked ahead with her. If only Doomsday had noticed Doc Tari lagging behind for a moment then walking away from the gate of the elephant's enclosure, purposefully leaving it unlatched.

********************************

Anna and I were making our way down the paved roadways in a jeep which Anna was driving. We had already checked on numerous exhibits, even passing Doomsday and Doc Tari as they stood outside the gorillas' enclosure at one point, and were now making our way past the zebras exhibit which was located at the far end of the property.

"Hold it!" I said, and Anna stopped the jeep.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Look ahead, on the road," I pointed.

We climbed out of the jeep and approached a section of the wide paved path. The concrete there was torn up in a long, scored groove for some distance.

"What on earth would have caused this?" Anna wondered.

"It looks like something heavy was dragged through here," I deduced.

"But what would be heavy enough to score concrete like this?" Anna asked.

"I have my suspicions," I said. "Look, it continues off the pavement and down that hill."

We followed the marks down the hill and through a series of bushes, the branches of which were broken and torn apart. "If my hunch is correct, we should find . . . " I almost walked right into a large metal beam as I spoke.

"Is this?" Anna asked, staring at the huge steel structure which was laying on its side in front of us.

"The transmission tower," I confirmed.

"Someone dragged the transmission tower here?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"Or something," I corrected.

Anna gave me a frustrated look. "Oh come on, not this again," she sighed. "Lemurs can't move transmission towers!"

"No, but elephants could," I pointed out.

Anna's mouth dropped open. "Someone used the elephants to steal the transmission tower?"

"Elephants, rhinos, hippos . . . any of the larger animals could have been used," I noted. I reached down to pick up a length of rope attached to a harness of canvas material. "The lemurs and other primates could have fastened these harnesses."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Anna argued. "How could someone get all of those animals to work together to move something that size? You'd have to train them for years!"

"I know it sounds strange," I agreed. "But right now it's the only thing that makes sense. The elephants were probably getting tired by the time they reached here, so they accidentally dragged the lower half of the tower on the road, making those marks." I could see Anna still wasn't convinced. "Just look at the prints on the ground," I suggested.

Anna studied the numerous paw prints in the surrounding dirt and sighed. "This is horrible," she said sadly. "Why would anyone want to use our animals like this?"

"A better question would be _how_ they are using the animals," I suggested. "They must have some way of controlling them."

"We have to call Doc Tari," Anna said, and we hurried back to the jeep.

********************************

Doomsday looked around the huge veterinary center in awe. It was a very large building with one large, open area that stretched up to a high ceiling. Various cages were located on one side of the room with sliding doors in the wall that led to adjoining outdoor enclosures. They had already placed Sasha in one of these outdoor enclosures. "She might as well enjoy some fresh air before we bring her in for her shots," Doc Tari had explained.

"This is really a neat place!" Doomsday said as he walked to the smaller cages that lined another wall. These contained a variety of animals which were being cared for in the clinic, including smaller primates and reptiles.

"I'm glad you like it," Doc Tari smiled. "You have a real way with animals. You could be very useful to me in my work."

"Really?" Doomsday asked hopefully.

"Oh absolutely!" Doc Tari smiled a bit too eagerly.

The radio set on the table started to crackle and then they heard Anna's voice. "Doc Tari, this is Anna. Are you there? Over."

Doc Tari walked over to the set and switched on the microphone, answering, "Yes, Anna, we're here. Over."

"Doc, there's a stolen transmission tower on the grounds of the zoo," Anna explained into her walkie talkie. "We . . . we think someone is abusing the animals, making them steal things and bring them here. Over."

"Anna, that's absurd!" Doc Tari countered. "How could anyone have access to our animals? They're locked safely in their pens at all times! Over."

"Doc Tari, this is P.T.," I came on. "We need to contact Sgt. Vinton of the 927th precinct to report our findings. Over."

"Yes, of course," Doc Tari assured us. "I can call from here. Where are you right now? Over."

"We're by the zebra enclosure," I explained. "The tower is hidden behind a hill on the far end of the zoo. Over."

"Okay, stay there," Doc Tari ordered. "I will contact the police by phone and bring them to you when they arrive. Over."

Doc Tari switched off the microphone and stood, leaning against the table. "Your friends work fast," he sighed.

"So it wasn't aliens after all?" Doomsday realized. "Doc Tari, we have to call the police!"

"Yes . . . yes, of course," Doc Tari said. "Let me do that right now." But instead of reaching for the phone, he reached over to the radio set and turned it to a range of high frequency marked in red. Once set, he pressed a button and waited, watching Doomsday carefully.

"How are you feeling, my boy?" Doc Tari asked.

"Oh, I'm feeling . . . feeling . . . " Doomsday's eyes started to glaze over and a moment later he was standing perfectly still, staring straight ahead.

"Fascinating," Doc Tari commented. "The tone I send out over this frequency which entrances the animals works on this boy as well." He flipped off the switch, cutting off the sound. "And once they're entranced I can issue any instructions I want over the same ultra-high frequency and they'll obey my every command!"

Doc Tari picked up the microphone and switched it on. "Attention, all animals. Attention, all animals. Destroy the Kids from C.A.P.E.R.! Repeat . . . destroy the Kids from C.A.P.E.R.!"

Doc Tari laughed with glee, then started hearing a strange bumping sound. Turning around, he could see that Doomsday was repeatedly banging his head against the wall.

"Not you!" he said, then realizing he had to speak on the frequency he lifted the microphone. "Not you, Doomsday!"

Doomsday stopped banging his head against the wall.

"I have something else for you to do," Doc Tari smiled.

********************************

Doc and Bugs had finished patrolling all the paths at the front end of the zoo and were standing in front of the gift shop.

"They're right, you know," Bugs said. "With all the animals so exhausted this zoo is really boring."

"I wonder how the others are doing," Doc sighed.

"P.T. calling Doc, come in Doc," my voice came over Doc's C.A.P.E.R. band radio.

Doc picked up the radio and lifted the antenna. "Doc here, P.T."

"We've located the transmission tower," I reported. "Doc Tari is going to contact the police for us. Where are you?" Unfortunately Doc and Bugs only heard "We've located . . . Tari is going . . . where are you?" because they were getting a huge amount of interference.

"Sorry, P.T., we couldn't copy," Doc replied. "We're getting interference from something."

I tried to hear Doc's reply, but was having the same problem with interference. "Doc? What was that? I can't read you," I said.

"You're breaking up badly," Doc reported. "We're near the zoo entrance."

The interference seemed to have stopped for a moment. "Stay there and wait for the police," I said. "Doc Tari is calling Sgt. Vinton now."

"Copy that," Doc said.

Bugs was looking around with an anxious expression. "You hear that?" he asked.

Doc listened for a moment. "I don't hear anything."

"That's exactly it," Bugs said. "It's quiet. _Too_ quiet."

"Oh, you're just imagining things," Doc scoffed. "This isn't the jungle, you know."

In the meantime, I was standing with Anna beside the jeep. She was looking around anxiously as well.

"Something's wrong," she said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"It's quiet," she noted.

"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked.

"No . . . no, it's _too_ quiet. It's not natural," Anna insisted. "The zoo is_ never _this quiet. Something's not right."

Normally I would have tried to convince her she was just imagining things, but I have to admit with the sky now growing darker and the eerie silence which seemed to come over our surroundings I was feeling a bit unnerved as well.

"Maybe we should go over to the veterinary center," Anna suggested, climbing into the jeep.

I wasn't about to argue with her. I climbed into the passenger seat and she backed up the vehicle to turn around.

We hadn't gone fifty feet down the road when Anna suddenly slammed on the brakes. Ahead of us, blocking our way, were numerous zebras.

"How did they get out of their enclosure?" Anna asked in a startled voice.

"And why are they looking at us like that?" I asked, noting the strange, blank look in their eyes as they started moving toward us.

"Something's really wrong," Anna noted. "They aren't acting normal at all!"

The zebras starting moving more quickly toward us, huffing angrily.

"We'd better get out of here," I suggested. "They don't look particularly friendly!"

"Hang on," Anna said, and she threw the jeep into reverse and began backing up. We knew that the road would eventually loop around in the other direction and lead to the veterinary center as well. The zebras began running after us but Anna amazingly steered us quickly in reverse down the path.

"What's happened to them?" Anna asked.

"Someone has them in some kind of trance," I said.

"But why are they coming after _us?"_ she cried, then suddenly she screamed, "Oh!"

Anna slammed on the brakes, causing us to spin out so that we ended up sideways across the path. I could see a herd of antelope comprised of pronghorns, impalas and springboks blocking our way while the zebra were coming up fast from the other direction.

"We're surrounded!" Anna cried as the animals started gathering around us.

Anna clung to me and I held on to her, although I had no idea how I could possibly protect her from all of these animals. Suddenly we heard a noise, like that of one lone animal calling out to the others. We watched as the herd of zebra parted in one place and Doomsday stepped from their midst, walking toward us.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Anna sighed with relief.

I jumped from the jeep and stepped forward. "Doomsday, what's . . . ?" I froze when I saw the blank look in Doomsday's eyes. It was the same as the expression I'd seen in the zebra's eyes. He walked passed me without giving me a second glance.

"P.T., what is it?" Anna asked nervously.

"Doomsday couldn't talk to the animals when they were being controlled before, now he can," I noted. "He's being controlled, too!"

Anna was startled when Doomsday walked around to the driver's side of the jeep and opened the door, pushing her over to the passenger side as he forced his way in. "No, wait!" she cried, hitting his arms in defense.

"No! Don't hurt him!" I said. "He doesn't know what he's doing any more than the animals do!"

"I don't want to go with you!" Anna cried as Doomsday started the jeep and straightened it out, then began driving away, the animals parting to allow them to pass. "P.T.! _P.T.!"_

"Anna!" I cried, chasing after them. That is until the antelope closed their ranks. I backed away, then turned, only to find the zebra closing in on the other side. I was trapped!

********************************

Bugs and Doc were still waiting by the gift shop.

"Why are all the ducks coming up out of the pond?" Bugs asked.

"They probably think you have food," Doc noted.

"I don't have any food!" Bugs yelled at the ducks. "Go away!"

"Bugs, stop harassing the ducks," Doc sighed.

"Look at them, they have a cold, vacant look in their eyes," Bugs commented as they waddled closer. "Maybe Doomsday's right! Maybe they really are aliens!"

"P.T. calling Doc! Come in, Doc!" I called frantically over the C.A.P.E.R. band.

Doc picked up his radio and replied, "Doc here, P.T. What's up?"

"I am!" I cried, clinging desperately to the tree I had managed to climb into. "I'm trapped!"

Bugs had run forward to try to scare the ducks away but was startled when they started attacking him en masse, snapping at his legs and flapping all around him.

"You're trapped?" Doc asked, noting the fear in my voice. "How? What's going on?" He lowered the radio for a moment and yelled, "Bugs, would you stop playing with those ducks? I can't hear P.T.!"

"Listen!" I cried. "The animals are being controlled and I think Doc Tari's behind it! Doomsday was with him and now Doomsday is in a trance as well! He's taken Anna!"

"Where are you?" Doc asked.

"I'm up a tree somewhere between the antelope and the zebra exhibits," I said, almost losing my grip as tree shook violently, butted repeatedly on all sides. "The animals are loose and they've apparently been ordered to attack! I don't know how much longer I can hold on!"

Doc eyed the ducks surrounding Bugs and nodded. "Hang on, P.T.! We'll be there as soon as we can!" By this time some of the ducks had started going after Doc, and a pair of geese and a swan had joined the assault on Bugs.

"The animals are under Doc Tari's control!" Doc said. "And we're the targets!"

"No kidding!" Bugs cried, shielding his head from the flapping birds. "What are we going to do?"

"If only we knew how he was controlling them," Doc sighed, tapping the radio against his chin as he thought, ignoring the ducks jumping at his legs. Suddenly it came to him . . . the stolen radio parts, the missing transmission tower, the interference on the C.A.P.E.R. band . . . "That's it!"

Doc grabbed Bugs and pulled him away from the birds, which immediately began to regroup. "Bugs, you go help P.T. He's in a tree at the far end of the zoo between the antelope and zebra exhibits."

"What about you?" Bugs asked, shaking his leg to try to fend off the persistent swan.

"I'm going to the Big Bologna," Doc explained. "I think I know a way to counter Doc Tari's control over these animals."

"Okay," Bugs said.

They turned in the direction of the zoo entrance, only to see a cheetah step into the path in front of them. The big cat eyed them with a blank stare, then growled, the fur on its back standing up.

"I'll handle this," Bugs said, kicking away the geese as he stepped between Doc and the cheetah.

Doc watched anxiously as Bugs approached the growling cat then stopped. "Here kitty, kitty," Bugs said tauntingly. "Wanna race?"

Suddenly Bugs took off running and the cheetah sped after him. In an instant they were both gone. Doc began running to the entrance of the zoo, hoping his theory was correct.

********************************

Doc Tari turned when he heard Anna's voice shouting in protest. After a moment she entered the veterinary clinic with Doomsday holding her tightly by the arm.

"Let go of me!" Anna cried.

"Ah, very good!" Doc Tari smiled. "You did an excellent job, Doomsday."

"What have you done to him?" Anna cried, still trying to pull free of Doomsday's grip.

"All in good time," Doc Tari said. "We have much to talk about." He raised the radio microphone and instructed, "Doomsday, please put Anna in the cage over there."

Anna dragged her feet and struggled until Doomsday finally picked her up and carried her over to one of the large cages, throwing her inside and closing the door behind her. Doc Tari then locked the cage door, placing the key on a peg by the radio.

"I can't believe it!" Anna cried, grabbing onto the bars of the cage. "I thought you loved animals! I thought you cared about them!"

"Oh, I do love animals, my dear!" Doc Tari assured her. "Especially when they're under my control and will do my bidding!"

"If you control the animals, then order them not to hurt the others!" Anna cried.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Doc Tari sighed. "No, you see, they were getting too close to discovering my plan. I couldn't have that."

"What plan?" Anna asked.

"I'm glad you asked!" Doc Tari said, "Because, I'm going to need your help. You see, once I've upgraded all of my equipment to a more powerful system and set up the transmission tower I will be able to control not just the animals within the zoo, but all of the animals in Northeast Southweston! Then the entire city will be under my control and everyone will have to do as I say or else I'll sic the entire animal population on them!"

"That's horrible!" Anna cried. "But why do you need me?"

"I can't possibly handle the veterinary needs of my entire animal army by myself," Doc Tari explained. "I need skilled and willing accomplices to help me achieve my goals. And you, my dear, are more than qualified."

"No!" Anna shouted. "I won't do it!"

"Oh, I think you will," Doc Tari sighed, motioning to Doomsday. "Because if you don't agree . . . "

Doc Tari picked up the microphone and said, "Doomsday, pull the lever." Doomsday pulled a lever on the wall which raised the door between the cage and the outer enclosure about six inches. Sasha's face and paws appeared at the opening, scratching and pushing as the tiger roared, trying to get inside the cage where Anna stood.

" . . . Sasha will have fresh meat for dinner tonight," Doc Tari laughed.


	3. Act Three

Doc ran as fast as he could toward the zoo entrance, still fending off the few ducks and geese which had managed to keep up with him. As he was running past the petting zoo, a small goat suddenly barreled out of nowhere and butted him hard in the hip, almost knocking him off his feet. The next thing he knew he was surrounded by sheep and goats and baby llamas, all butting at him and trying to knock him down.

Doc pushed past the baby animals and continued to run, reaching the front gates. He could barely catch the sight of movement in the trees above him but he didn't stop to look closely. He was focused on reaching the Big Bologna as quickly as possible.

Bolting across the lamp-lit parking lot with the crowd of animals close behind, Doc scrambled to reach the van, pulling open the door and leaping inside. He turned to close the door and had to push several ducks and goats back before he could managed to pull it shut, locking it.

The sound of animals surrounded the Big Bologna, which began to rock slightly as it was being buffeted from all sides. Doc ran to the radio and picked up the microphone, realizing that Doc Tari probably had lied about calling the police himself.

_Meanwhile, across town:_

"Are you sure these aliens are going to show up?" Sgt. Vinton asked skeptically.

"Absolutely!" Klinsinger assured him.

The two men were leaning back in lawn chairs which had been set side by side out in the middle of the field where the television transmission tower used to stand. They were both looking up at the darkening sky, although Klinsinger had his goggles over his eyes.

"This seems like a waste of time to me," Sgt. Vinton complained.

"Just you wait," Klinsinger sighed to himself. "I'll win awards with this report. 'Alien menace exposed!' Oh, but don't be surprised if they look like raccoons. That's just their way of hiding their true identity."

Sgt. Vinton eyed Klinsinger as if he had lost his mind.

"Doc calling Sgt. Vinton! Sgt. Vinton, if you're there pick up! It's an emergency!"

Sgt. Vinton reached over to pick up his radio and hit the button. "Vinton here. What's up, Doc?" He looked to Klinsinger and laughed, saying, "I've always wanted to say that."

"Send help to the zoo right away!" Doc urged. "We're under attack!"

"Under attack?" Vinton asked with surprise.

"Oh, they're just laboring under the misconception that lemurs are behind all this," Klinsinger scoffed. "Pay no attention to them."

"What kind of attack?" Sgt. Vinton asked.

"Doc Tari, the zoo's director, is controlling the animals!" Doc reported. "He stole the transmission tower and I'm sure he plans to use it to control all of the animals in town!"

Suddenly there was a loud splash and Doc turned in time to see Mr. Featherstone lurching from his tank. Doc managed to pull his hand away from the flashing, sharp teeth just in time. "Oh no! Et tu, Mr. Featherstone?" Doc gasped.

"I'll be there right away!" Sgt. Vinton promised Doc, and he got up from the lawn chair.

"You're leaving?" Klinsinger asked in a hurt voice. "But what about the aliens?"

"If we're lucky the aliens will abduct you and you can get a first-hand interview with them," Sgt. Vinton sighed. "I don't know what's going on at the zoo, but it sounds a heck of a lot more interesting than what's happening here!"

Sgt. Vinton crossed the field to his patrol car.

"Just you wait!" Klinsinger shouted. "I'll prove to everyone that I'm right! The aliens are out there! I'll prove it to the world!" Finding himself alone in the field, Klinsinger huddled nervously, sighing, "It sure is dark out here. Mommy!"

********************************

I tried to climb higher in the branches as the tree lurched unsteadily to one side. The antelope were swinging their antlers at my legs, trying to knock me off my already precarious perch. All at once the tree lurched violently in the opposite direction as several zebra rammed it all at once and I had to wrap my arms around a thick branch to keep from being tossed down into the mass of large bodies below.

Suddenly the zebras and antelope stepped aside, leaving a circle around the base of the tree. I couldn't understand what was happening until I heard heavier footsteps approaching. Suddenly a large head burst through the branches beside me and lunged at me. I ducked aside at the last second as the giraffe pulled back, sizing up my location. I had nowhere else to duck, so I closed my eyes and braced myself as the giraffe's head came at me, slamming its two horns painfully into my side. I lost my grip on the branch and felt myself toppling out of the tree. Once I hit the ground I knew I would be trampled and gored within seconds.

But before I hit the ground something else slammed into me. I thought for sure that some animal had rammed me, only instead of falling down I was moving sideways, bursting through the group of startled zebras and antelope, which had no choice but to be shoved aside, and then continuing on down the paths at an incredible rate of speed.

"Nice of you to drop by," Bugs said as he continued to run.

I threw my arms around Bugs' shoulders to brace myself against the dizzying speed. "Nice of you to give me a lift!" I replied. "We have to get to the veterinary center right away!"

"No problem!" Bugs said, and he made a beeline for the clinic. It was amazing the number and variety of animals we passed on the way, some of them attempting to stop us but unable to keep up with or comprehend Bugs' super speed.

We reached the veterinary center and Bugs burst in through the front door before coming to a stop. He set me down on my feet and I wobbled unsteadily.

"Oh, how can you stand to go that fast?" I asked, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"Ask the cheetah," Bugs panted.

"You outran a cheetah?" Anna asked with surprise.

"They're fast but they have no stamina," Bugs explained, still panting to catch his breath. "I, on the other hand, had to run around the zoo twice before I found P.T. Those directional maps are hard to read when you're running by them at high speed."

Having heard Anna's voice, I stumbled to the cage. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"For now," Anna said, motioning to the opening behind her where Sasha was still trying to get through. The huge tiger had managed to push the door up several more inches. I ran to the lever to try to lower the door again, but it was impossible with the tiger wedged partway through.

Doc Tari was standing by his radio set, looking at us with some surprise.

"He's controlling the animals!" Anna said. "And he's going to use the transmitter to control all of the animals in town!"

"I think they've figured that out for themselves by now," Doc Tari assured her.

"We're not going to allow you to carry our your nefarious plans, Doc Tari!" I said. "Bugs, get him!"

Bugs was bent over, still breathing hard. He held up a finger. "Give me a minute to catch my breath and I'll pummel him so badly he'll resemble elephant dung," Bugs promised.

Doc Tari picked up the radio microphone and said into it, "Tiny . . . take care of the little guy with the glasses for me, will you?"

"Tiny?" Bugs laughed, still panting. "You expect me to be afraid of someone called . . . ?"

The side of the building suddenly came crashing in and a huge African bull elephant stepped inside. Bugs stood straight to face the elephant just as it swung its trunk, knocking him clear across the room.

"Bugs!" Anna and I cried out.

"Tiny, crush him!" Doc Tari ordered into the microphone.

We watched helplessly as Bugs sat up against the wall of the clinic where he'd been thrown as Tiny walked over to him, lifting his huge foot. Tiny brought his massive foot down just as Bugs reached up to hold it off. Poor Bugs was pinned against the wall using what little strength he had left to keep the elephant's foot from crushing him.

"This has got to come to an end!" I said angrily, heading for Doc Tari.

"Doomsday, stop him," Doc Tari ordered into the microphone. Doomsday stepped between me and Doc Tari and roughly pushed me away.

I didn't want to fight Doomsday. I knew he had no control over what he was doing. "Doomsday, you don't want to protect this man," I said. "He's evil!"

"Too bad he can't understand you," Doc Tari sneered. "Although I'm sure he'll understand this." He picked up the microphone and said, "Doomsday . . . let Ashin have the pleasure of killing him."

"No!" Anna cried out suddenly. I didn't think I wanted to know why she was so immediately horrified.

Doomsday walked over to one of the cages on the other side of the room and started to open it.

I looked over to Anna, who was clutching the bars of her cage. "Run!" she urged desperately.

"No," I said, speaking loudly enough for Doomsday to hear. "Doomsday was right. Animals are naturally good. And so is Doomsday. I can't believe he could willingly do something to hurt us. It's not in his nature. And somewhere inside of him he has the strength to fight this, I know it."

"I sure hope you're right, P.T.!" Bugs grunted, still somehow managing to hold off Tiny's foot. "Because I don't think Ashin is going to listen to you!"

I looked to Doomsday and saw the huge Burmese python slithering from the cage and gathering at his feet. It was easily eighteen feet in length. I allowed myself a large gulp and half thought about taking Anna's advice and making a run for it. But looking through the large opening in the wall where Tiny had made his unforgettable entrance I could see the glow of countless eyes peering in and knew there would be no easy escape either way.

Doomsday said something to the snake and then pointed in my direction. The python began slithering toward me and I instinctively backed away. "Doomsday!" I said urgently. "Listen to me! You don't want to do this!"

"Doomsday, ignore him," Doc Tari said casually into the microphone.

"No!" I shouted, backing up against the wall. "Doomsday! You don't have to do what he says! You can fight it! You can still save us!"

Sasha growled and pushed her shoulders in through the opening, swiping at Anna, who leapt away.

"Come on, Doomsday," I pleaded, pressing my back against the wall as the python reached my feet. "You don't want to hurt us. We're your friends! And Doc Tari is being cruel to all of these animals!"

"Yeah, Doomsday!" Bugs groaned sarcastically, the weight of the elephant quickly becoming too much for him. "Think of these poor, defenseless animals!"

Doomsday stood, staring at me, his eyes still glazed over. The snake began winding up my leg and I continued to press my back against the wall, hoping I could somehow keep the huge snake from coiling around my waist or chest.

I stared deep into Doomsday's eyes, trying desperately to get through to him as the snake began inching up past my waist, looking for a hold. "Doomsday, please. Come on, snap out of it! You have to help us!"

Sasha made another desperate push into the Anna's cage, working herself in even further as she growled and snarled.

"Doomsday, please help us!" Anna cried.

Bugs let out a loud moan as Tiny's foot pushed closer to his chest. "Come on, Doomsday! Help us!"

Suddenly I thought I saw a spark of doubt and confusion in Doomsday's eyes. He blinked, then shook his head, looking confused. "What's going on?" he asked. He looked from me to Anna to Bugs in horror and then turned to Doc Tari, who seemed startled.

"No, stop it!" Doomsday cried, running to try to pull Ashin off me, but the snake wouldn't let go. Doomsday talked to it, but it was no use. He then grabbed the bars of Anna's cage and shouted, "Sasha! Calm down!" He tried talking to the tiger but she kept growling and pushing through the opening. Doomsday then ran to Bugs and yelled, "Tiny, don't! You'll kill him!" He spoke to the elephant but it kept pressing down on Bugs even more.

Doc Tari started to laugh. "I'm moved by your faith in your friend, but you forgot one thing. _I_ still control the animals! When Doomsday's not in my control, he can't even communicate with them!"

"Yeah, that was kind of an important thing to forget, P.T.!" Bugs complained with a grunt.

"Sorry!" I apologized as I felt myself being pulled away from the wall by Ashin's weight.

"Let them go!" Doomsday cried.

"Um, let me think about that," Doc Tari smirked. He thought a moment, then answered, "No."

"The radio!" I shouted as I fell forward, giving Ashin the opportunity to finally wrap his coils around my torso. "He controls the animals using the radio!"

Doomsday made a run for the radio but Doc Tari was quicker, snatching up the microphone and shouting, "Adofo! Stop him!"

All at once a gigantic silverback gorilla burst into the room and lunged at Doomsday. I tried to shout, but couldn't get my breath. The python's coils were constricting tight around my chest and I couldn't draw in any air. Anna let out a scream as Sasha pushed further into her cage. Bugs tried valiantly to push the elephant's foot off him but was losing strength fast. It certainly looked like the end for all of us.

********************************

Doc struggled to keep his balance as he frantically tweaked the knobs of the radio. This wasn't easy because he was standing on one foot with his back to the machine and had to reach awkwardly behind him to work the controls. His other foot was in Mr. Featherstone's mouth. He had raised his foot to try to ward off another attack by the shark and Mr. Featherstone had bitten into his sneaker and refused to let go. Making everything even more difficult was the fact that the Big Bologna was rocking wildly from side the side, completely surrounded by animals trying desperately to get inside.

"He must use a specific tone at a specific frequency," Doc thought aloud. "But what is the correct combination to counteract it?" He tried another pair of settings with no result.

Doc was startled when he heard numerous creatures scampering across the top of the van. He could see several monkeys hanging down over the windshield, pounding at it with their feet. Their screeching was deafening, and Doc knew if they broke through the glass and got inside they could easily tear him apart.

"Come on!" he moaned, twisting the knobs to a different combination of ultra-high frequency settings. "One of these has to be right!" He hit the switch, sending the tone out across the airwaves. A moment later Mr. Featherstone let go of his sneaker. The Big Bologna stopped rocking and things grew quiet.

"That's it!" Doc realized, boosting the settings to carry over a wider area.

Mr. Featherstone made a series of confused mumbling noises.

"Of course your mouth tastes like sneaker rubber!" Doc said. "You've been eating my shoe for the past ten minutes!" He stepped back from the radio and sighed. "Let's just hope I'm not too late!"

********************************

Doomsday struggled as the gorilla grabbed him, holding his arms roughly behind his back.

"Easy there, Adofo," Doc Tari urged the gorilla through the microphone. "I still need this one. He's going to prove to be very useful to me, once I entrance him again."

"I'll never do your bidding again!" Doomsday insisted.

"Oh, you will," Doc Tari promised. "Right after you watch your friends die."

Doomsday continued to struggle desperately, crying out in anguish at being unable to come to our aid.

Suddenly everything grew strangely quiet. Doomsday felt Adofo's grip on his arms loosen. Before he knew it, the gorilla started to casually pick through his hair.

"Adofo!" Doomsday exclaimed, realizing the gorilla was no longer in a trance. The gorilla hugged Doomsday like a long-lost friend.

Excusing himself, Doomsday hurried over to Bugs. Tiny was looking confused and Doomsday quickly spoke to the elephant, helping him lift his foot away from Bugs before setting it down. Bugs sighed with relief, struggling to get to his feet.

As Doomsday moved away, Bugs saw Doc Tari moving toward the radio and lunged at him, pulling him back and shouting, "Oh no, you don't!"

"Hurry!" Anna cried as Doomsday ran over to me.

I was still finding it hard to breath, as Ashin's grip was still tight around my chest. Doomsday spoke to the snake and it finally loosened its coils as Doomsday took the reptile's tail and worked to pull it off me.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief and then looked down at Sasha, who was laying quietly on her side, exhausted. "Oh, poor Sasha!" she cooed, patting the tiger's fur and comforting her.

Bugs was struggling to hold on to Doc Tari, but he was still weak after his long struggle with the elephant, so the man was able to break free and again lunged for the radio.

Doomsday shouted something to Adofo, who leapt at Doc Tari, scaring the man back. Adofo then used his huge fists to smash the radio into pieces. Doc Tari stood motionless for a moment, then ran out through the hole in the wall and past the confused animals.

"He's getting away," I gasped as Doomsday helped me to my feet.

"Stay here and rest," Doomsday said, and he turned to run through the opening in the wall, calling the animals to join him as they disappeared into the night.

"Oh, P.T., are you all right?" Anna asked worriedly as I slowly limped over to her cage.

"I'm okay," I assured her breathlessly.

Bugs brought over the key and unlocked the cage door. Anna rushed out and threw her arms around me, hugging me.

"Ow! Ow!" I cried, then smiled painfully, "Please . . . not so tight!"

"Doc did it," Bugs said. "He must have figured out how to break Doc Tari's control over the animals."

"Thank goodness for Doc," I sighed, then realized, "Doomsday's gone after Doc Tari on his own. We'd better help him. We can't let that megalomaniac get away."

Bugs and I were still exhausted, but we walked out of the building with Anna and looked around, trying to figure out which way they had gone.

Suddenly we heard a sharp, loud cry for help. Thankfully we recognized it as Doc Tari's voice.

"I would guess they're over in that direction," Bugs pointed, and we followed the sound down the path and around the bend to the alligator's exhibit.

As we approached the pool we saw a large number of animals gathered around the exhibit. Doomsday was standing among them and we approached him.

"I think we have the situation well under control," Doomsday informed us.

We could see several large orangutans sitting on the rocks at the center of the exhibit, holding onto Doc Tari by the arms. Occasionally they were lowering him down to where the alligators below were swimming, allowing the alligators to snap dangerously close to the man's feet before pulling him back up.

"No! No, stop it! Let me go!" Doc Tari cried like a child. His white suit was now torn and soiled.

"I told them not to hurt him," Doomsday explained. "But after I explained what he'd done to them, they seemed to want to have a little fun before we turn him over to the police."

"And you said animals were naturally good?" Bugs asked Doomsday.

"I'm sure Doc Tari would take comfort in that knowledge about now," I commented with a smile, hooking a playful arm around Doomsday's neck.

"Doc calling anyone," Doc's concerned voice came over our radios. "Come in anyone! Are you guys okay?"

Bugs lifted his radio and pushed the button, answering, "We're doing just fine, Doc. In fact, I'd say we were all enjoying the show."

********************************

" . . . so Doc Tari would use one tone on a particular ultra-high frequency to hypnotize the animals, then issue instructions on that same frequency. He could later bring them out of it by using a different tone. But he only had the zoo's walkie talkie system to work with which didn't go much beyond the parameter of the zoo. So he thought that by stealing stronger equipment and the transmission tower he could broadcast over a wider range and turn all the animals in town into his slaves."

Doc was standing outside the Big Bologna explaining the situation to Sgt. Vinton, who was looking decidedly confused. It's not clear if he was confused by Doc's explanation or by the animals which were still running around the parking lot. Some of the animals were still trying to get at the already traumatized Doc Tari as the man was put into the back of a police car and driven away.

"It's going to be a quite a job getting all of the animals back into their enclosures," Anna sighed.

"I can help," Doomsday said, and he turned to the animals present and spoke to them in turn. Slowly they started making their way back into the zoo.

"They'll spread the word to the others," Doomsday explained. "All they want to do now is get back to their dens and have a good sleep."

"_That _sounds like a good idea!" Bugs yawned.

"I can't thank you enough for your help," Anna smiled, then she added, "You all have a free pass to the zoo any time you like!"

"Oh boy! Thanks!" Doomsday smiled happily. Bugs and I just exchanged a look and smiled politely.

"It's a shame you don't want to be a zookeeper," Anna said to Doomsday. "We could sure use someone with your talents here."

"I could come down and volunteer sometimes," Doomsday offered. "But my heart is dedicated to C.A.P.E.R first and foremost."

"And speaking of dedicated," I broke in, walking over to Anna. "This is dedicated to the one I love." I began to sing a romantic ballad to her, swaying her gently in my arms.

"They really are perfect for each other," Bugs sighed.

"Yeah, they even shop at the same clothes stores!" Doomsday noted.

Sgt. Vinton shook his head in wonder after Doc finished explaining what had happened. "Well, you boys solved the case once again. I'm glad I decided to come over here after all."

"I'm kind of surprised Klinsinger isn't here getting the scoop," Doc noted. "This could have been an award-winning story for him."

_Meanwhile, in a dark empty lot across town:_

Klinsinger sat alone in his lawn chair, shining a flashlight up into the empty sky.

"Scoop of the century! I'll show 'em. I'll win newscaster of the year! Mommy will be so proud! Hello? I know you aliens are out there! _Hellooooooo??"_

THE END


End file.
